This species is distributed throughout the Richtersveld National Park and in adjacent parts of southern Namibia (Figs. 21, 30–31 in Bauer et al. 2006). It occurs in areas along the Orange River both to the east and west of the park boundaries — Annisfontein in the west and several localities in the east, at least as far upstream as Goodhouse, where it is replaced by P. montanus. It extends southwards to about the level of Kuboes and northwards as far as Namuskluft in the west and Ai-Ais in the east.

DIAGNOSIS.—A moderately sized species, to 45.7 mm SVL (CAS 201908). Pachydactylus carinatus may be distinguished from all other members of the P. serval/weberi group by the combination of the following characters: snout weakly inflated laterally; rostral enters nostril; supranasals in variable contact; scales on dorsum of head granular, flattened to very weakly domed, those on snout much larger than those of interorbital and parietal regions; very few small (2–3 times size of granules), round, conical tubercles on interorbital and parietal regions; dorsal scalation strongly heterogeneous, with small, oval, keeled tubercles arranged in 16 regular rows; no tubercles on thighs; toes moderately long, toe pads relatively narrow; typically five undivided lamellae beneath digit IVof pes; tail to at least 114% of SVL, strongly annulate, bearing whorls of moderately to very strongly keeled, pointed tubercles, well separated from each other; adult pattern of moderately small, irregular brown spots or larger markings more-or-less evenly distributed across light brown to grayish-brown dorsum, with some trace of a pale, dark-edged band across occiput and nape in some specimens; tubercular keels whitish to pale yellow, contrasting with darker spots on dorsum (Figs. 101–103 in Bauer et al. 2006); juveniles with dark brown to blackish body, with an wide, dark-edged ashy nape band and an thick ashy band covering lumbar and sacral regions as well as hindlimbs (Figs. 104–105 in Bauer et al. 2006), tail a bright orange (Fig. 105 in Bauer et al. 2006; see also Bauer and Branch 2003:133). Although similar to the juvenile pattern of P. serval, in the latter species the tail is dark rather than bright, the pale sacral area extends further anteriorly than in P. carinatusand the neck band is also broader.

Comment

HABITAT: P. carinatus is rupicolous and occupies retreats under overhanging rock flakes and narrow cracks and crevices within and between rocks in bouldery areas.

Etymology

ETYMOLOGY.—The specific epithet carinatusis Latin for keeled and is in reference to the prominent keeled tubercles typical of this species.

Herrmann, H.-W.; W.R. Branch 2013. Fifty years of herpetological research in the Namib Desert and Namibia with an updated and annotated species checklist. Journal of Arid Environments 93: 94–115 - get paper here

Mashinini, P. L. and Mahlangu, L. M. 2013. An annotated catalogue of the types of gekkonid lizards (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae) in the Herpetology collection of the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, South Africa. Annals of the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History 3: 165-181